Pay MSRP or haggle the price for a set of $1700 wheels? Whats the protocol?

Obviously, if you pay full MSRP for a car or an expensive bike you are a dork.

What is the deal with high end wheels? I have been saving up for months and finally am close enough to start thinking about the purchase of some Roval Control SL 29 wheels.

For the record, they are coming from a Specialized/Cannondale dealer and I dont ride either of those bikes, so I have never made a big bike purchase with the shop. But I do buy little things, hang out around the shop, and ride with the owner/employees sometimes.

Because of that, I dont want to seem like a stinker* asking for them to give me a deal, but I dont want to pay way more than I have to!

What is the protocol?
What is your experience?
No need to mention shop names, but are we looking at 5% or 10% or something else?

Thanks guys. I am excited to read the responses!
Sheepo

*edited to maintain PG rating

12-23-2012

DWill

I bought a set of Enve 26" AM's on DT 240's for not much more than that … negotiate.

12-23-2012

eurospek

MSRP is for suckers.

12-23-2012

J.B. Weld

I don't think MSRP is necessarily for suckers. For some people $1700 is chump change and they are often happy to pay full retail without blinking an eye. The shop they like benefits and they walk out with a cool set of wheels, I don't this qualifies them as suckers because they know full well that they could haggle a deal if they wanted to.

For others $1700 is a ****load of cash and a lot of shops do not mind cutting a deal at all. It depends on the wholesale cost of course but I used to sometimes discount items like that up to 20% for a good customer. It sure doesn't hurt to ask IMO, and remember that for some people cash still talks!

12-23-2012

DrDon

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWill

I bought a set of Enve 26" AM's on DT 240's for not much more than that … negotiate.

Ditto, except mine are 29er/AM/aerolite.

12-23-2012

friz

I don't pay MSRP but my bike shop discounts big ticket items enough to make haggling a mute point. That being said, I would haggle the price of a slurpee if 7/11 would let me.

12-23-2012

Spinning Lizard

I would ask if there is a New Years Day special. Then say you are paying with cash and I would think they would take 10% off.

I would at least like the % of sales tax to be taken off the price. Hopefully he will!

12-23-2012

50calray

Cash talks and BS walks. I always pull out a handful of cash (less than the asking price) and ask what they can do for me. I have yet to have someone turn me down. If they can't budge on price, they work a deal on labor.

12-23-2012

boostin

If you know what shop cost is try to offer shop cost plus what you think is fair. Alot of times what I think is fair works for the shop plus I'll bring in non $$$ goodies like beer or similar items that are good for me - in my case it's fruit like apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, and cherries. (I grow tree fruit for a living)

12-23-2012

Berkley

Quote:

Originally Posted by boostin

If you know what shop cost is try to offer shop cost plus what you think is fair.

Really? Seriously? :skep:

12-23-2012

boostin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berkley

Really? Seriously? :skep:

Yea, probably not the best plan for weekend warriors who don't have intimate knowledge of product costs and tight-knit relationships with their LBS.

12-23-2012

hitechredneck

Only in America does anyone question paying MSRP. The haggle is a way of life pretty much everywhere else. We are like poor trained monkeys that are too scared of not being PC and offending the owner of the item we want. I try to haggle pretty everything unless it is from a friend and I think they are giving me a great price already. I say start at 30% and go from there.

12-23-2012

Sheepo5669

Some product lines have "MSRP policies" which require the dealer to sell for MSRP. Fun fact of the day.

I still plan on talking to him about getting some $ off. With every single $$$$ in hand for sure!

12-23-2012

SB Trails

For me-- when it comes to big ticket items-- i always allow the shop to offer me their best deal.. When i buy something big i go to a few shops and tell them im getting X product-- and ask what their best price is.. When they know your going to shop around a bit-- they know what the other guy can offer it to you for-- they usually stop the BS and come right down.. Im all about the win win.. They get a sale and make some $-- i get the big ticket items at the best price i could-- good for me-- good for them..

An example was when i got my last car.. I went into the dealership and asked to talk to the sales mgr.. I told him that i was going to buy a car today paying cash---and i was going to go to all 3 honda dealerships in the area regardless to the price he gave me--best price got the sale.. All in a friendly matter and just talking straight up... Car was $24,500-- he came right back @ $19,9.. Almost 5 k off right there.. Went to the next dealer-- $19,750 but thew in a arm rest and a few other things.. That let me know that was about as low as i was going to get-- so i took the deal.. All was happy..

12-23-2012

limba

I was going to say the two worst companies to get a deal on are Cannondale and Specialized. You can't just hop on Jenson and buy them. You're kinda stuck buying them from a dealer. I'm sure they'll give you a deal.

12-23-2012

50calray

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheepo5669

Some product lines have "MSRP policies" which require the dealer to sell for MSRP. Fun fact of the day.

I still plan on talking to him about getting some $ off. With every single $$$$ in hand for sure!

Yes, but you got some room to haggle on labor cost.

12-24-2012

goodmojo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheepo5669

Some product lines have "MSRP policies" which require the dealer to sell for MSRP. Fun fact of the day.

I still plan on talking to him about getting some $ off. With every single $$$$ in hand for sure!

I doubt it considering that is price fixing and highly illegal. The best the mfg can do is disallow them from advertising a non msrp price.

12-24-2012

ewarnerusa

Haggling is pretty standard, but like someone else mentioned Specialized products aren't the best for this because access to them is more limited. I found myself in the same predicament as the OP at the end of the summer for the same set of wheels. I was comfortable with full retail for the following reasons:
*I had just bought a new high end bike a few weeks prior at a large discount.
*I have a great relationship with the shop and get unexpected discounts a lot of the time.
*Full retail on the Rovals is less than comparable competitors.
*They've got a program where you earn store credit discount for every dollar you spend (at full retail). I later put this towards a burley set of studded tires.
Some may say that these aren't good enough reasons to pay full retail. $1700 is a lot of money, but in my case it had been ear marked for this so the sting wasn't as painful. And the wheels rock!

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

12-24-2012

DWill

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodmojo

I doubt it considering that is price fixing and highly illegal. The best the mfg can do is disallow them from advertising a non msrp price.

I agree with you that it is price fixing and is or should be illegal.

However I can tell you from direct experience with owning a dive shop that it is a fact; at least in the dive industry. Not only that but many of the manufacturers in that industry meet to share order history, credit history including shop owners personal credit history and set pricing and credit/pricing policy.

All of which is not "legal" but yet happens. I suspect this happens because the vast majority of dive shops are sole proprietors " mom and pop" businesses and can do nothing about it.

The dive industry even has a trade organization DEMA!, set up to help dive shops market.
Guess who established and controls that organization?

My guess the bike industry is much the same.

12-24-2012

Sheepo5669

Quote:

Originally Posted by 50calray

Yes, but you got some room to haggle on labor cost.

No need for that! I do all my own labor. I know a LOT of people in the industry, and honest to dog, I would only trust about 10% of them to touch my bikes.

12-24-2012

Sheepo5669

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodmojo

I doubt it considering that is price fixing and highly illegal. The best the mfg can do is disallow them from advertising a non msrp price.

This is straight off a large (brink and mortar only) online distributers website:

MSRP and MAP Policies

Many manufacturers have unilaterally adopted Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) and Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) policies to further the continued support of Independent Bicycle Dealers. These policies encourage dealers to effectively promote and invest in these brands while preserving the brand image and value.

Enforcement
Brands are solely responsible for monitoring and enforcement of their policies. ******* will honor brand requests to cease sales of that brands products to accounts found to be in violation.

If that doesnt mean what I thought it did, than I am mistaken.

12-24-2012

Sheepo5669

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewarnerusa

Haggling is pretty standard, but like someone else mentioned Specialized products aren't the best for this because access to them is more limited. I found myself in the same predicament as the OP at the end of the summer for the same set of wheels. I was comfortable with full retail for the following reasons:
*I had just bought a new high end bike a few weeks prior at a large discount.
*I have a great relationship with the shop and get unexpected discounts a lot of the time.
*Full retail on the Rovals is less than comparable competitors.
*They've got a program where you earn store credit discount for every dollar you spend (at full retail). I later put this towards a burley set of studded tires.
Some may say that these aren't good enough reasons to pay full retail. $1700 is a lot of money, but in my case it had been ear marked for this so the sting wasn't as painful. And the wheels rock!

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

No explosions yet I guess? The thread on these wheels make them seem like ticking timebombs for destruction. I think people are just running their tires too low and impacting their rims on trail objects.

12-24-2012

ewarnerusa

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheepo5669

No explosions yet I guess? The thread on these wheels make them seem like ticking timebombs for destruction. I think people are just running their tires too low and impacting their rims on trail objects.

Haven't seen that thread, can you link to it? LBS used their warranty as a selling point, too. And this shop has always taken good care of me in that regard.